CA-40: Democrats eye 2026 as best chance to finally unseat Rep. Young Kim [View all]

In a purple-tinged swath of Southern California, Republican Rep. Young Kim has repeatedly vanquished a string of Democratic challengers by trying to steer clear of her party’s hard line.

First elected to the House in 2020, Kim is now the only Republican to represent a slice of Orange County, a onetime conservative bastion where Richard Nixon was born and Ronald Reagan is revered.

Democrats say the region’s shifting demographics — along with rising voter disenchantment over the economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s policies — provide the party with its best chance in years to defeat Kim. She is one of 35 House Republicans that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting in the midterm elections.

“If ever there was a time, it could be 2026,’’ said Jodi Balma, a political scientist at Fullerton College.

However, ousting Kim in California’s 40th District won’t be easy: “It’s the least gettable seat [for Democrats] in Orange County, which is why she still holds it,” Balma said.


https://rollcall.com/2025/04/22/young-kim-california-democrats-midterm-election/